The Stinsons
Recap The gang is immediately suspicious when Barney skips out on hitting on a hot girl. Reexamining some of Barney's earlier behavior, they begin to suspect he is in a committed relationship. So they follow him to a house in Staten Island. There they find that Barney has been hiding a woman from them: his mother, Loretta Stinson. But the bigger shock comes when they are joined by his wife Betty and son Tyler. The gang is shocked by the syrupy sweet family. Once his mother is out of earshot, Barney explains that Betty and Tyler are actually actors he hired to play his family. Years ago, when Loretta looked like she was going to die, Barney hired an actress, Margaret, to play his fiancée, Betty. When his mother miraculously got better, Barney was forced to keep up the ruse and cast Grant to play his son. Ted bonds with Margaret as they discuss acting and Robin bonds with Grant discussing their troubled careers. Meanwhile, getting to know Loretta, Marshall decides the "sweet, caring, slightly too graphic" woman deserves to know the truth. When Marshall claims that Loretta reminds him of his own mother, Lily admits that she hates Marshall's mother. After a slightly awkward dinner where Barney has written a script for Betty and Tyler, the gang walks in on Ted and Margaret kissing in the kitchen. Barney tries to ad-lib a confrontation but is startled when Ted creates his own story (thanks to some acting tips from Margaret). Robin meanwhile congratulates Grant on his improvised performance in the kitchen and the two share an awkward moment on the porch. Barney eventually yields and confesses the whole story to his mother. Loretta is surprised but forgiving. She admits that she hates Betty and Tyler and even Barney's "fake friends". Loretta reminds Barney that she once led a promiscuous lifestyle to rival his own. She explains that she merely wants Barney to be happy and urges him to pursue love when it crosses his path. Robin comes in and tells him the cab's here. Barney tells his mom he'll try. In the cab ride home, Lily comes to terms with Judy Eriksen on the phone for Marshall's benefit. What Marshall doesn't realize is that Margaret and Ted are on the other end of the line. Continuity *Barney once again claims Bob Barker is his father, which he first reveals in . He later admits Bob Barker is not his father in . *Betty talks about Doctor Grosbard, Barney's shrink in . *Barney expresses dislike for New Jersey in discussing . This sentiment was openly expressed by Ted and the others in , , and . Gallery Memorable Quotes Notes and Trivia Goofs and Errors *Betty mentions Dr. Grossbard, who apparently told Barney to have only one helping of meatloaf, to the group. Barney reveals in that Dr. Grossbard is his shrink, which implies that he might have suggested the name to Betty himself. *In this episode Barney's Mom name is Loretta. In , Rhonda French calls her Patty. Allusions and Outside References *Ted recalls having seen Betty act in (he refers to the play by its original German title). *Barney's line "Call me crazy, but child actors were better in the 80s", is a reference to the actor Neil Patrick Harris, who plays Barney. Harris himself was a child actor in the 1980s playing . *Barney's fictitious wife's name Betty is a reference to Barney and Betty Rubble from . *Robin says that Barney's supposed girlfriend must have come from to manage to make him a committed man. Narnia is the fictitious world created by in his series of books. *The name of the episode (The Stinsons), is a reference to the title of the cartoon series, . Music *Vertigo - Anya Marina Other Notes *Zachary Gordon, who played Grant in this episode, also played Ted's nephew in . Guests * - Grant * - Margaret *Frances Conroy - Loretta Stinson *Angelo Diona - Ricky *Kimberly Pfeffer - Stage Mom Reception rated the episode A-. http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-stinsons,24563/ Cindy McLennan of rated the episode with a grade B. http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/how_i_met_your_mother/the_stinsons_1.php Michelle Zoromski of gave the episode 8.6 out of 10. http://tv.ign.com/articles/958/958832p1.html References External Links * * * Category:Episodes Category:Season 4